Pokemon Platinum Fanfiction
by Magnusthegreat
Summary: Klaus Chambers is just an ordinary thirteen year old boy with a promising future in Science. But he chose a different path, or rather, the path chose him. Join Klaus as he find himself in the middle of an age old crisis and a destiny he can't escape. Will his emotions get the best of him? Does his friends know more than they are letting on? Is history destined to repeat itself?
1. Chapter 1: Career Choice

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. I have the Platinum game and I guess I own the original characters mentioned but that's it. Oh! And I suppose my plot line is original too (I own that!)

Hi! I'm sorry if you guys had already read chapters one and two but I've decided to redo the chapters to better fit my story line. I decided to go back and reread the original chapter 1 and found that it sucked big time. The original chapter one didn't really fit into my plot that much so here I am again. So, the original chapter one will be chapter two instead and chapter two will be chapter three instead (I hope I haven't lost you there). Basically saying chapter two: Reflection will now be chapter three.

Warning to new readers: There are a lot of Original Contents in this story. Don't worry the Red Chain and Team Galactic and the legendary trio thing is still there but events will unfold differently than in the game. There won't be a lot of original characters but still one or two may pop up. Please don't be alarmed by this chapter because it doesn't start out like the game or any other Platinum fanficitons. The storyline will still go as Arceus intended in the game but there will be some major twitches here and there. Also, please excuse my grammar mistakes. I'm having trouble alternating between past tense words and present tense words. For some reason, I never seems to find the mistakes until I've published it. If you find me updating this the next day, then you know that I've found some grammar mistakes and tried to correct it. Rated T for harsh language and some vocabulary that you may not know.

I guess I shouldn't make the note this long but here is one last thing: I will try to summarize the chapter in one single question at the end of the note. I guess I'm starting some sort of new trend right here so please don't call me a hippy.

Chapter Summary: Who is Michael?

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><p>POKÉMON PLATINUM FAN FICTION<p>

Chapter One: Career Choice.

_Thump!_ The bed seemed to shout in protest when it was forced to abruptly carry the weight of a thirteen-year-old boy. Klaus Chamber let out an exasperated sigh as he lay on the bed. His mother Beth had told him more than once that he shouldn't just plop down on the bed like that. The bed frame could handle the pressure when he was young but now it will surely collapse under his adolescent weigh. But he didn't care because the bed had never collapsed once and he had been jumping on it every single day.

Klaus rubbed his tired eyes and folded the rest of his body up the bed. His mother had also told him more than once to stop rubbing his eyes but he didn't care for that either. The final exam wasn't easy. Normally, he would've preferred solving equations and writing essays over any type sports or outside activities but now he would've prefer none of the above. All he wanted now was to lie on the soft welcoming mattress and never wake up

But before he could drift off, he was interrupted by a loud mew. A dark shadow leaped from under the covers and attacked the boy. Luckily Klaus reacted fast enough to avoid being scratched by the figure.

"Go away Purdy," Klaus groaned, brushing the cat aside. "How many times do I have to tell you? STOP SLEEPING ON MY BED?!"

The Glameow soared gracefully away into the air and landed with an elegant touch on the floor. She gave a threatening hiss at the intruder. Klaus rolled his eyes at the menace cry; he heard that as much times as his mother told him not to do something. Purdy saw that her warning wasn't quite as effective as she had hoped, the feline left the room with a huff.

Just as the Glameow left the room, Klaus's bedroom door opened again and his mother peaked in. As a former Pokémon Coordinator, Beth had picked Glameow as her starter Pokémon. In the old days, they use to be one of the best teams in the Sinnoh region but after they'd retired, Purdy became lazy. All she does now is eat, sleep, and grow fat. Her trainer was no exception. After her glorious days were gone and her husband passed away, Beth was a shadow of her old self, always trotting around the house in old pajamas and saddles. On rare occasions, she would go out to buy groceries and take her precious Pokémon out for a walk but that was it. Although Beth didn't believe in psychiatry, Klaus hypothesized that her mother had fallen into some sort of depression from the lack of love and the sense of uselessness in the world.

"For goodness sakes mom," Klaus cried in exasperation. "Can't you tell that I'm tired as hell. Please leave me alone. Tomorrow is the Career Choice and if I don't get enough sleep, I might drop my application into the wrong box."

"I'm so sorry for barging in like that" his mother Beth murmured. She might think that her volume was the same as everyone else's but it's really not. "I am here to tell you that I'm going out to buy groceries and I'm also taking Purdy for her walk. I'll be back in an hour."

"Alright mom," Klaus turned in his position on the bed. "I won't burn the house down or anything."

"Honey, if you're that tired than you should've slept early yesterday. You're the one who is always nagging me about health and optical issues."

"I JUST DON'T CARE!"

Klaus heard Beth's footsteps faint as she shut the door and walked away. Then there was the door slamming and the keys jiggling as his mother exited the house. Klaus caught himself wondering if women are from a different planet but then he felt bad for shouting at his mother. The boy groaned and slipped into his blanket. Nothing beats life excepted sleep and death to drown the worries away.

"Meow," Klaus heard a fade cry coming from underneath the bed. He briefly opened his eyes and caught a glimpse of whiskers rubbing against his dark hair. At first Klaus thought that that was just an image his exhausted mind conjured up but after a second, he opened his eyes again and saw that the Glameow besides him was indeed real. The boy bolted straight up the bed and stared at the Pokémon. The Pokémon stared back at the boy. It was like some sort of staring contest that Klaus was designated to lose.

"Purdy?" Klaus reached his hand out to touch the Glameow but she did the same thing as last time and darted away. _What is Purdy doing here? _Klaus thought. _Didn't mother take her for a walk?_ _They couldn't have come back so soon._

But before Klaus could organize his thoughts clearly, the Glameow jumped on his desk and snatched the piece of paper that lay on top of it. _Oh Crap!_ Klaus gasped. The piece of paper that is now hanging from Purdy's mouth was the application for his Career. Without it, he mind as well kiss his future goodbye.

"Alright Purdy," Klaus said in the honey-like voice he read about in a book regarding a villain who lures children into his windowless van. "Be a good Glameow now and give back my application. It's very important."

Purdy just gave the boy an amused look and scrabbled away from his room. Klaus cursed and scrabbled after her. That was the part he _didn't_ read about in that book. The game of cat and mouse went on around the entire house. The mouse would dive under a chair while the cat trips over it. Turning around the corridor leading to the basement, Klaus realized that he had lost the Glameow during his blind pursuit. He looked around the corridor but there was no place for a feline to hide except the basement. Coincidentally, the basement door was just open a crack.

Making his way down the basement stairs, Klaus was once again reminded of that book he read where the kidnapper preforms inhumane experiments on the abducted children in his basement. The fact that he has Entomophobia, Arachnophobia, and Nyctophobia didn't really help the cause either.

"Hello," Klaus said to the dark. That line always implies that one of the characters will be eaten by some sort of monster. "Purdy, are you in here?"

Nothing came out of the dark to devour Klaus but something did brush lightly against his left leg. All the hair in his body seems to had stood up on its ends as Klaus jumped about a mile high in the air. He was terrified to look down but he did senselessly anyways. He was kind of glad he did because the thing that was brushing against his legs wasn't a giant man-eating creature. In fact, it wasn't even an animated object. It was his Career application, lying on the floor as it was laughing at his irrational fears. The boy breathed a huge sigh of relief and flickered on the lights.

"Purdy, are you in here?" Klaus repeated, this time holding his application tightly in his hands.

Klaus looked around the basement with a curious eye. He had known its existence but never had time to look around here before. The place wasn't as ominous as Klaus had thought. There were no monsters lurking, no leaking mold, or any sign of cobwebs dangling from the ceiling. Truthfully, the entire room looked clean and occupied. _Strange,_ Klaus thought. _I've never seen mother go in here before. Was she secretly housing a hobo this whole time?_

Klaus crept gently down the stairs. _So this is where my mother spends her time while I was in school_, Klaus thought amusingly. There was a huge desk in the center of the room, with a bookcase and a few drawers lined up against the walls. Papers were scattered everywhere on the desk with folders that they're supposed to be in. Klaus moved closer to the sporadic mess of papers and folders. His mind turned with millions of outlandish possibilities on what this could mean. _Did mother belong to secret organization? Is she some sort of spy? Did she forget to file all her complaint mail to the phone company?_ Randomly, he selected a piece of paper on the desk. What he saw wasn't what he had expected, but it wasn't all that disappointing either.

_Dear Beth,_

_ I'm writing with dread to inform you that G might have succeeded in finding classified information regarding the Red Chain. Of course it will be improbable for them to get to it but the news I've received from Johanna had trouble me greatly. I couldn't sleep at night as I toss and turn in bed. Johanna can no longer keep_ her_ safe from G because they had trash all the equipment she had set up on the lake. I'm sorry my dear, but you'll have to keep your eyes open and beware of G. They will come after you anytime soon. I'm afraid that I can no longer protect you either._

_Love,_

_Michael_

There was an eerie silence as Klaus digested what he had read. Michael was his biological father. He knew that because of the old family photograph that his mother refused to take down in the living room. The pictured shows a young couple holding an infant on their laps. As far as Klaus knew, his father died in a fire a few weeks after he turned five. Klaus stared into space in thought. He felt his heart slowly sinking like almost everyone else's does when they uncovered information that was kept a secret from them. _Is my father still alive?_ Klaus thought. Grown-ups don't always tell the truth and Klaus felt that his mother wasn't giving him all the facts either. A surging wave of excitement flushed through his body as the boy quickly flip through some of the papers on the desk. Letters, letters, they were all letters! A small mountain of letters spread all around the desk in no particular order. Careful not to mess up piles (he didn't really want his mother to know that he'd been here) Klaus sort through them one by one. There was a date printed on the top. Some of them were labeled two decades ago and some were just a few years old. The closest date was the one that was written about three years ago.

_Dear Beth,_

_ I'm sorry that I have not written to you for so long. There were some minor complications. G is currently hot on my trail. I'm terrified at the possibility of them finding me but if fear is a crime then I should be in jail for life. Please keep Klaus safe and out of harm's way. I implore you not to come visit me in Celestic Town. G is still at large and they will track you to me. _

_My sincere apologies,_

_Michael_

There it was again! The letter G seems to appear in every letter he read. Is G some sort of secret organization? Klaus kept looking through the papers on the desk. He even tried the cabinets but they were locked. It was times like these that he wished he had brought that skeleton key during the yard sale downtown, regardless of how unclean other people's things are. _So,_ Klaus thought with eagerness. _Not only is my father alive, he could still be in Celestic town._ At that moment Klaus heard his front door close and his heart nearly skipped a beat.

Klaus scrabbled to clean up the mess he made. Although he doesn't quite have an eidetic memory, he placed the papers fairly close to where they were. It was a rush against time as Klaus carefully shut off the lights and tiptoed out of the basement. Luckily, his mother was in the kitchen so Klaus can creep silently across the living room, but before he could go up the stairs he mother caught him while coming out of the kitchen with Purdy on a leash.

"Klaus I thought you're tired," Beth said. "Shouldn't you be in your room sleeping?"

"Yeah mom," Klaus replied a little too quickly. "I just came down to…" He stopped himself before he could go any further. _It's now or never,_ he thought. "I just came down here to talk to you about something."

"What is it?" his mother asked. Klaus could tell that his mother was starting to get suspicious.

Klaus suddenly felt numbed. He didn't want to tell his mother what he saw but he didn't want to _not_ tell her. Beth stood there impatiently. A lot of things happened today that doesn't make sense. He wanted to ask his mother straight forward but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. Why can't he just say it? Why were the finals so taxing? What does G stand for? Why is Purdy on a leash when she was here the whole time? What happen to Michael? Nonetheless he just couldn't bring himself to say a word. _But they're all the wrong questions,_ he thought. _The right question should be what am I going to do to find out more?_

In what seems like hours, Klaus finally spoke up. "Mom," He said, holding his application with two hands. "I want to talk to you about my Career Choice."

* * *

><p>"WHAT?!" Klaus waited for the unenviable laughing he was about to receive from his two best friends, Robert and Austin. But the two seems to be going for stun silence instead.<p>

"What on earth are you thinking?" Austin cried in disbelief. Austin was a rather short and plump boy with brownish hair and an unusually large pair of glasses. "Do you have a tumor in your brain or something?"

"Yeah," Robert agreed. Robert was more or less the same height as Klaus with extremely smooth black hair and a face that always crack up at the first sigh of a joke. He wore a huge grin right now as a result to the tumor joke. "It must be from all the final tests."

Klaus looked at them grimly. The tumor thing was an inside joke that had always came up around the three friends when one of them said something outlandish. "It's just a small last minute change to deal with unexpected circumstances."

"I wouldn't call unexpectedly dumping a well-planned future for Pokémon training a _small_ change," Austin said. "This gotta be some joke."

"Is no joke guys," Klaus replied. "I'm actually going to do it. I've already filled in my application as a trainer."

The two friends suddenly looked worried. "Are you sure you're alright?" Robert frowned. "Did you think it through?"

Oh I thought it through alright, Klaus was tempted to say. I thought about it in bed last night. I thought about it when I woke up in the middle of the night. I thought about it in the morning. I thought about it on the way to school. I'm even thinking about it right now. Surprisingly, his mother didn't react as badly as he thought she would. Then again, Klaus wasn't sure how his mother would react. After his discussion with her last night, she just nodded and asked if he was sure about all this. Klaus said yeah and Beth just walked right out of the room without saying anything else. There was no mention of the letters or the basement from neither son nor mother. Klaus didn't see his mother during dinner or breakfast, although the likely assumption was she had locked herself down in the basement.

"Yeah I did," was all Klaus said in response. "I sorry for not telling you guys earlier but as I said, it was last minute." _Very last minute_ he added in his head.

"But you can't just ditch us," Austin protested. "People with different careers rarely get to see each other."

"Yes we will," Klaus said. "Look, you guys are studying at the Academy of Sciences, right? As a trainer, I get the only Career that allows you to travel anywhere you want. So if I could find the time I could drop by and say hello once in a while. Besides, with me gone, you we've finally a solution to the cushion problem."

"I know that," Robert said. "But what I really don't know is the why. Why do you want to become a trainer?"

"That's the wrong question," Klaus said. "The right question should be what circumstances made me change my mind?"

"Then what circumstances made you change your mind?"

"I can't tell you that."

The two other boys groaned. "Come on tell us!" Austin pleaded. "We have been friends for what, like ten years now. I'm pretty sure you can trust us with this big secret."

Luckily, the bell rung before Klaus could say anything else. "Bye guys," He said running off. "I need to get to my home room before the Career Choice. We can talk afterschool."

With that, Klaus rushed off, leaving his friends standing in the dust. "I know that it was a joke at first but I'm starting to think the tumor thing might've been real," Robert whispered to Austin.

Without looking back, Klaus walked straight into his homeroom. There was hardly anyone there except for some loners in the back and the teacher Mr. Reed, a small overweight man with really pale skin. Everybody else was out saying their goodbyes. Klaus found his seat in the second row and sat down. He let out the breath he had been holding on to for a while. It wasn't because he didn't want to tell his friends; on the contrary he had wanted to tell somebody, anybody about what he saw. But it just didn't feel right. They have no right to butt in on his family business.

"Why the long face Klaus?" Mr. Reed said. "I thought you will be glad to get out of here or should I quote 'to be rid of these imbeciles'"

"Yeah," Klaus smiled at the quote. He was glad Mr. Reed still remembers it. "It's just that I have to make a sudden change in my career plans due to unexpected circumstances. I'm also sorry that I said that out loud. It's funny you still remember it."

"Are you kidding?" the teacher exclaimed. "That was the best thing a student had said in all my thirty years of work here. I'm going to miss you by the way. You're one of the few students I have that is impossible to win an argument with."

"Thanks Mr. Reed" Klaus mumbled. But he wasn't really into it right now. "I am going to miss you too."

Their conversation was cut short as students began piling in. They quickly found their desks before the second bell could sound.

"I'm pretty sure whatever decision you make will be the right one," Mr. Reed said to Klaus. Then he stood up and began addressing the entire class. "Alright everyone. This is it! This is your last day here in Twinleaf Town High School. There are some of you here that I will miss more than others but either way, this school year won't be the same without you guys." He took a big breath before continuing. "This is somewhat emotionally stressful but then again, I've been dealing with this for decades now so I have some experience. Ms. Burrows won't have that advantage."

Then as if on cue, the class heard a muffled sound of crying in the next room. Klaus looked around and realized that some of the girls and guys have a red flush on their face. Although Klaus considers himself to be a master at his emotions, he couldn't help feeling a bit sad too. But before he could let tears stream down his face. A paper airplane flew straight into the side of his face.

"Barry Grant!" Mr. Reed said angrily. "I don't want to give detentions in the last day of school but I will if I have too."

"Sorry Thomas!" the boy sitting in the far backed of the row was struggling to fight laughter. The other two boys around him covered their mouth with their hands too.

"Clearly there will be some I'll miss more than others," Mr. Reed sighed. He then turned his attention back to the rest of the class. "Anyways, I wish you all the best rest of your life and please make the right decisions. Remember, 'knowing the right thing is simple, but doing the right thing is nearly impossible.' I hope you have all given your Careers some thought. You can change your career anytime you want but going down to city hall and applying for a new one would be a big hassle. Speaking of which," the man reached under his desk to grab his hat. Let's go down to the auditorium because it's now time to make your Career Choice!"

* * *

><p>Alright that's it. This actually took me longer to write than the original chapter one. The father of the character will actually have a pretty big role in the story. They've never mention the father in most games so I've decided that Klaus's father sold have a bigger role.<p>

I believed that all good writers should leave a review in all the work they've done. It should be a review that criticize and give some pointers to later chapters. Please don't just write "It Sucks" or "It's Awesome". You got to be more specific than that. For example "This story/chapter is awesome because…"

One last thing. By the end of every chapter I've attempt to summarize the entire story in one question.

Story Summary: Is history destined to repeat itself?


	2. Chapter 2: First Look

Yeah, sorry for the changes. Please don't come after me with forks and knives because I'm just an amateur writer. Anyways, you might've noticed that in the story i tend to include words like heck or hell or damn, etc. I will guarantee that there will be no F-word mentioned in the story. People might judge the language as kind of harsh but that is the way me and my friends talk; we'll just mindlessly say a few bad words even though we're just having a regular conversation.

Before you proceed, ask yourself the following question: What starter Pokemon would you choose (and please don't kill me for my choice of Pokemon.)?

* * *

><p>Pokémon Platinum Fan Fiction<p>

Chapter Two: First Look

The small road that thirteen-year-old Klaus Chamber always walks home from school was covered with snow. It tower high and obscure the path. The gray clouds concealed the sun giving the early afternoon an ominous and slightly depressing mood. Today was graduation day at the Twinleaf Town High School (TTHS) and Klaus graduated as the top of his senior class. After the ceremony there was of course the Career Choice. There were many options like being a Nurse Joy (although that is still an all-female profession), a professor, a Pokémon Coordinator, Pokémon Ranger, Pokémon Breeder, Poke Mart Shopkeeper, Pokémon Gym Leader, an officer, a sailor, a pilot, and a trainer.

After one picked his or her designated job, they would be assigned to a special college or study as an apprentice. All except the trainers. They start their job immediately. All trainers have one single goal – to defeat the Sinnoh League Champion.

As one of the brightest in his class, everyone was expecting him to pick a career as a professor. Klaus could remember it all, when he dropped his application into the trainer's box; his teacher looked at him sternly and asked "Are you sure Klaus?" All Klaus did in respond is give him a slight nod.

Now, walking home from school, the young man was deep in thought. _Could I have picked the wrong career,_ He thought. _There is no backing down now. I'll have to be a trainer for at least a few weeks. _It was all wrong. He should've never discovered the letters his father sent to his mother. Now his bright and assuring future looks dim and uncertain in the abyss. As a trainer, he'll never get to stay put for a second and will be always on the move. It seems like an almost impossible task for someone who doesn't even like stepping out of his own home_. But that's the reason I chose this over being a professor, _Klaus reasoned with himself. _This might be the only chance I'll ever get to search for my father. _

"Yo man, wait up!" a voice called.

Klaus turned around to find an enthusiastic boy with blond hair and an orange/white striped shirt. The boy caught up to him and ran right in front of Klaus.

"Hey you must be Klaus Chambers," the boy said, extending a hand. "I'm Barry Grant. Remember me? I sit right behind you in class."

"Yeah," Klaus replied unsure what to do. He did remember Barry. Well, apparently everyone in school did after what he drew on the office door with permanent markers. And not to mention it is hard to forget a guy who keeps throwing paper airplanes at you from the back.

"I saw you today when you picked your career," Barry said. He dropped his hand when he realized that Klaus would never shake it. "I am a trainer too! You left so early today that you haven't even seen the refreshments yet."

"Yeah, well, I have a lot on my mind right now," Klaus panicked slightly. Did he just pick a career for idiots?

"So, are you off to see Professor Rowan?" Barry asked.

"The whole 'picking out your Pokémon' thing doesn't start till tomorrow," Klaus said and resumed walking.

"You know that there are only three of us this year, trainers I mean."

"Really? So Little? Who's the third trainer?"

"They say that it's a girl from Sandgem Town. I don't know about you but I had never seen her around before."

"Great."

"So this is where you live?"

Klaus looked up and saw that they, or rather he, had stopped in front of a big old house with brown paint and a green roof. He wasn't really paying attention to where he was going or the conversation.

"Yeah, this is where I live," Klaus murmured.

"Well, see you tomorrow," and with that, Barry took off, running in the opposite direction.

The next day, Klaus was woken up by his alarm clock. He opens his eyes briefly, just to make sure that he was still in his room. The boy felt hesitant to get up. Last night, he did all the packing and planning. He knows what Pokémon he'll be looking for and strategies he might use in a battle. _But is all this really worth it?_ That question has been going around his head for a while now. It bounced here and there without Klaus giving it much thought.

"What if this is all just a big folly?" Klaus muttered to himself. It felt weird to hear his own voice talking to him but right now, he needed the consolation. He shut his eyes again, hoping that this was all a dream but that was no use. What he really needed now was someone, anyone to tell him he was doing the right thing. But Klaus had always been quick to judge. _Maybe this won't be so bad_, Klaus thought. _When I find my father, I'll just go change my Career and my life will be back on track again._

Klaus showered and dressed in a hurry. On the way downstairs, he almost tripped over Purdy, who loves to throttle around the house and sleep in the middle of the stairs. The boy was immediately reminded of the small adventure he had yesterday. Everything was going on so fast that he didn't even have time to slow down and think about Purdy. Wasn't Purdy on a leash when his mother got back? She was never on a leash unless she has to go out. But Purdy was in the house all along. What the hell is going on? Klaus was tempted to scream that, not just at the Glameow but at the rest of the world. Nothing seems to make sense anymore.

"Move aside Purdy," Klaus whispered.

The Glameow hissed at him but trotted upstairs. At least that still make sense.

When Klaus walked into the living room, his mother, Beth, was standing in front of the door. She had finally gotten out of the basement (or wherever she was hiding). Klaus was forced to make lunch and dinner by himself yesterday and he'd always made an extra serving for his mother. He was tempted to leave it in front of the basement doorstep but after realizing that he hadn't told her about his accidental discovery that other day, he decided to leave the food on the counter instead. When he came down to grab a soda from the fridge an hour later, the food was gone.

"Yes, yes, sure," Beth was saying. "Klaus is upstairs. His alarm clock should've woken him up by now. I'll see what's keeping him."

"Mom, I'm right here," Klaus said.

"Alright, he's right here. Why don't I leave you two here to talk while I go make some coffee?"

"Thanks Mrs. Chamber," Barry said enthusiastically. He then turns to Klaus. "Sup' buddy, ready for our big day?"

"I've been planned for months now. How could I not be?" Klaus grumbled.

"Geeze are you always so grumpy?" Barry frowned.

"No. I'm always in this foul partly because I haven't had my morning coffee yet and partly because I just rolled out of bed. And partly because I have to see you again." He muttered the last part under his breath.

"I'm sorry; I didn't quite catch the last part."

"I said: would you like to come in for some coffee?" Klaus lied.

"Eww! You people drink that stuff?" Barry made a disgusted face. "I think it's as bitter as hell!"

"Of course you do. Anyways how did you remember where I live?"

"That's easy," Barry pointed at his head. "I have an eidetic memory."

"Oh, okay," Klaus thought about it. He always wanted an eidetic memory. The world seems entirely unfair to give such a valuable gift to such…well…idiots. "You can go the professor's lab without me if you want."

"No it's okay. I'll just wait out here until you finish breakfast."

After breakfast Klaus found Barry waiting at the door, still as excited as ever.

"Are you ready stomp on the Champion's ass partner? "Barry said with an obnoxious cowboy accent. An amusing thought crossed Klaus's mind as he remembered that the current champion is a girl.

Klaus knew that the question was rhetorical but he couldn't help but put some consideration into it. He never knew how to react if he accidentally did become the new Champion of Sinnoh. Tears of joy? A celebration party? Going up to the highest peak in Sinnoh and shout "You suck" to everybody down below? Nonetheless he didn't plan on becoming the Champion anyways. His goal was clear: find his father and apply for a job change.

But of course Klaus mentioned none of that to Barry. He just grabbed his old hiker's backpack and stepped out of his house. "Come on," he said to the blonde. "Let's go."

"What about your mom?" Barry asked. "Aren't you going to at least say goodbye to her? I know it's impolite to ask but what is wrong with her anyways?"

"Some sort of psychological depression," Klaus responded. It was true. When he had arrived in the kitchen, his mother left on cup of leftover coffee on the counter and assumingly left for the basement.

As the two young trainers head out, Klaus tried to look for an upbeat in all this. For example, there is the part where he gets to catch and own his own Pokémon. That should be…weird. He could have Pokémon battles….that's always fun to watch on TV. Being an optimist definitely wasn't his style. Being a pessimist, on the other hand, fits him perfectly.

"Alright," Klaus announced, sitting down in a bus bench. "The bus will be here in about half an hour."

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Barry cried in disbelief.

"Um…waiting for the bus," Klaus said, taken back.

"That is highly unethical for a trainer. You weren't allowed to take the bus to other towns once you become a trainer."

"But I haven't received my trainer's badge yet."

"Mind as well start getting use to the workout. Come on, we're _walking_ through route 201."

"Are you crazy! It's suicide to walk through a route without a Pokémon!"

"Come on we're walking," Barry tone clearly meant that he wasn't going to change his mind. He ran off leaving Klaus sitting in his dusk.

"Damn it!" Klaus cursed and ran after him.

When they reach the exit, they saw a security guard at the gates. The boys snooped pass the guard when he wasn't looking and crept quietly until they are a fair distance away from the guard. Klaus stopped and took in the scenery. There were trees and bushes all around making the route fell majestic and daunting at the same time. There weren't too many tall grass patches around but some of the more stubborn ones were blocking the road.

Klaus took a moment to listen to all the sounds and Pokémon cries he'd never heard of before. All the wildlife was new to Klaus, being stuck in a small town for the whole thirteen years of his life.

"In order to get into Sandgem Town," Barry said, breaking Klaus's trace. "We'll have to get through that tall grass patch over there."

"Uh-uh," Klaus shook his head. "I am _not _going anywhere near a tall grass patch until I got a healthy Pokémon with me."

"Come on," Barry urged rolling his eyes. "Stop being a pessimist. There are like only a few Bidoofs and Starlys here. I promise that when a wild Pokémon attacks, I'll step in front to save you."

"Alright if you say so," Klaus said, still unsure. "But being a pessimist fits me perfectly."

Just before they could step into the tall grass a tall man with white hair and a brown coat ran up to them.

"Hold it! You two don't seem to have any Pokémon between you. What is the meaning of going into the tall grass?!"

It took a while for the boys to comprehend what just happened. The man just stood there, waiting for their explanation as if he spent his lifetime scaring thirteen-year-olds out of their wits. "Well…sir…" Klaus fumbled for words.

"We were just going over to see Professor Rowan in Sandgem Town," Barry beat him to it. Instead of desperately clawing for words, he answered with a confident reply.

"I _am_ Professor Rowan," The man announced. "And you two must be the new the two new trainers from Twinleaf Town."

"I don't know if we _must_ be, but theoretically we weren't supposed to start until we'd received our licenses," Barry said. Klaus looked at him. He had never guessed that Barry would have the bravado to challenge _the _Professor Rowan.

Professor Rowan smiled. "I admire your dauntlessness young man. It seems that you have all it takes to become a trainer, although walking unprotected in a route would be foolish. I hope that you'll not be so irrational again in the future."

"No sire," Barry responded in matching pace. "We promise!"

Klaus was shocked. He can't believe that Professor complemented Barry's stupidity. He is also stunned at Barry's performance. That guy even manages to make Professor Rowan smile.

Without another word, Rowan began walking into the tall grass. Klaus could see that he had a red poke ball in hand just in case a wild Pokémon attacked. The device was shaped like a sphere, very much similar to the ones he read in books. It was quite amazing, how these little machines are able to support life inside. The two trainers had no choice but to follow the Professor. One of the many important traits a trainer should have is trust. If you're stuck in the woods somewhere you'll have to trust whatever lunatic that comes along to lead you out, or else, you'll be stuck forever.

Route 201 is a relatively small route compare to all the maps of other routes Klaus had seen. Sandgem Town is not too big either. The main gate, like Twinleaf Town's was small and rusted. When the professor strolled broadly in, the guard bows his head in respect. Since Rowan's laboratory was located in the far side of town, the boys had the time to take in the sights of this town. All around, there were people following the guard's suit; they all bow the heads respectably when Rowan walked passed.

Professor Rowan's lab is a simple two story building, very much like all the other houses in Sandgem Town. A girl about Klaus's age stood outside the door, conversing with one of Professor Rowan's assistants. The girl wore a pink skirt and a baggie on her head. She carried a white duffle bag and a small backpack very similar to Klaus's.

"…If he is not here, then when can he be back?" she was saying to the assistant.

"Professor Rowan is currently studying Pokémon evolutions right now and he is conducting an experiment with some of the wild Starlys," the guy replied. Then, realizing that the professor is coming he turns towards the newcomers. "Oh there you are! Professor Rowan, this girl just came here a few minutes ago asking for you. She said she is one of the new trainers."

"Hello Professor Rowan," the girl extended a hand out to the man. "I am Dawn. I use to go to the Sandgem Town High School. I saw the lecture you did on evolutionary stones, and I just want to say that that lecture was the highlight of my week."

"Thank you for your complements," Professor Rowan said. He then turns to the boys. "Guys, I want you to meet Dawn Pearl, she is the third trainer that would be receiving a starter Pokémon from my lab. Dawn, I want you to meet Klaus and Barry. They are the other two new trainers this year."

"Hi," Dawn smiled timidly. She extended a hand out to Klaus. He shook it without a word. Next was Barry, but he got some words to say. "It's a pleasure to meet you, but I should let you know that Pokémon training is an all-male profession. You mind as well pack your bags and go home."

"Really?" Dawn frowned. "But I seem to recall that the current champion of Sinnoh is a girl."

"How about we go choose our own starter Pokémon now?" Professor Rowan exerted, trying to break the tension.

Dawn and Barry huffed in defiance, but walked into the laboratory. They walked a notable distance away from each other, though. Professor Rowan guided the children inside while his assistance entered behind them, shutting the door. The inside of the lab was crammed with equipment and books. Assistances were running around everywhere like the mall on Christmas Eve. All the lab workers were way too busy to pay attention to a trio of kids but they did step aside as Professor Rowan walked by.

Klaus looked at amazement at all the machines scattered about the lab. Some of them he recognized from books. There's the HM & TM Maker, a 3D printer, multiple boilers, two transfer machines, a Neon Laser machine, and…

"Is that a Mega Ring Creator?" Klaus asked, stopping in front of a printer-like machine.

"Yes my lad," the professor responded. "They are the new machines currently being developed in Kalos. They can create certain rings that can evolve certain Pokémon into their mega form, which means a form beyond its second evolution. They are quite rare and very expensive."

The dark hair boy looked at the machines with a certain longing. It reminded him of all the equipment he saw during his visit to the Academy of Sciences. Austin and Robert must be getting the official grand tour right now. There will be lab demonstrations, a free buffet, and they get to see the new model Hadron Collider the academy's been working on. _I wonder if they replaced me yet with a new guy,_ Klaus thought shockingly. It had just occurred to Klaus that he hadn't told his friends about his plan to switch careers yet. Of course, if he had told them, they would've probably gotten more suspicious about his decision.

"So," Dawn said. "Does this mean that you are currently studying Pokémon evolutions?"

"Yes, in fact, that is the reason I need your help with something," Professor Rowan said.

"Well, alright," Klaus said, taken back. He'd never thought Professor Rowan would want their help with anything.

"Come with me to the backroom please then," Rowan said.

The three new trainers followed the professor through all the mess lying around. They entered a small room filled with trees and multiple small berry bushes. The floor was covered with a layer of newly trimmed grass and the walls were painted with a bright color. Blue sky and white puffy clouds loom over head. At first, Klaus thought they were real but a closer examination shows that the sky was just an illusion created by some kind of hologram. The atmosphere made Klaus feel that he could just lay back and relax in this paradise.

Then he noticed three little Pokémon in the center of the room. One, a monkey-like Pokémon with a small and yet fierce flame flickering from his tail, was running around being chased by another Pokémon, a blue, round, penguin-like creature. A small turtle with a twig sticking out of its forehead was running after the two. Unfortunately, it was too slow to catch up so it was just running slowly back and forth.

"Welcome new trainers," Rowan announced. "This is the Pokémon nurturing room. It was design to fit a Pokémon's natural habitats but these three Pokémon are extremely rare in Sinnoh and they are just newborns, barely a month pass since they came out of their eggs. The blue one is Piplup, a water-type Pokémon that can evolve into an Empoleon. The one with a twig on its head is Turtwig, a leaf-type Pokémon can evolve into a Torterra. And the last Pokémon is a Chimchar, a fire-type that evolves into an Infernape. I do hope you have made your choice already. Go on and choose your starter Pokémon."

Dawn immediately rushed up to Chimchar. "Hey little fella. How would you like it if I choose you to be my starter?"

"Chim, Chim!" Chimchar screeched enthusiastically, letting Dawn held it up.

"Dips on Turtwig!" Barry said, rushing over to Turtwig.

"Hey little fella. How would you like it if I choose you to be my starter?" Barry said, trying to mimic Dawn. Instead of cheering up the Pokémon, Barry failed epically and made Turtwig turn and ran away.

While Barry went chasing after Turtwig, Klaus sat right next to Piplup, who was watching the charade without much interest. "Well, last one picked for a partner. Almost like me with almost every sports team," Klaus chuckled a bit and then sat back to watch the others like Piplup.

"Well, I see that you guys have already picked your partners before-hand," Rowan said. "Last year, there was a cat-fight between two girls who both wanted the same Bronzor. And speaking of that, you three might want to nickname you Pokémon, so you don't get them mixed up with other Pokémon, no matter how rare they are."

"Oh, great!" Dawn exclaimed, "How about I name you…" Then Dawn blushed red. "Um…Professor…what gender is my Pokémon?"

"They are all male, Dawn," Professor Rowan said with a smile.

"Oh, ok then, I'll name him Inferno," Dawn smiled down at her Pokémon. "Do you like it?"

"Chimp-Chimp" Inferno said, jumping up and down energetically.

"I'll name mine Branch," Barry said, finally able to hold Turtwig in his arms.

"Um…how about Trident," Klaus said after some thought. "If it's okay with you."

"Pip-pip," Trident said, though he gave his new master a look saying, _you could've at least tried._ But he nodded contently at the end.

"Er-hem!" the professor said, clearing his throat. "Let's move on to the main topic. There is something I want you to do for me. First of all, I want to know exactly what kinds of Pokémon live in the Sinnoh region. To do so, it is necessary to collect data using the Pokédex. This is what I wish to ask of you. I want to entrust you with this Pokédex. Will you use it to record data on all the Pokémon in Sinnoh for me?"

"It will be an honor professor," Dawn said

Professor Rowan went to a table in the corner of the room. Apparently, all this was staged beforehand because Professor Rowan soon came back with three Pokédex. He handed the pink one to Dawn, the green one to Barry, and the blue one to Klaus.

"That Pokédex is a very high-tech device. It will automatically record data on every kind of Pokémon you encounter. I ask that you three go everywhere and meet every kind of Pokémon in this region! You guys are going to do so anyways when you start on your adventure."

"Sure, but professor, I have a question," Barry said. "How do we open this thing?"

Klaus looked down and realized that he couldn't even figure out the device too. He saw that Dawn was also struggling with her Pokédex pressing buttons randomly hoping that one of them will be it.

"There's an instruction guide taped to the back," Rowan explained. Everyone fumbled for the manual. "As I've said before, the Pokédex is a very high-tech device. It is capable of doing many things but since you three are just beginners, all you need to know is the basic functions. The first paragraph should show you what you needed to know for now. You can figure the rest out on your journey."

Lest than a minute later, Klaus was able to start up his Pokédex while Dawn was just seconds behind him. In the end they have to show Barry the on and off button. When the screen lit up, there was a small introduction announced by a mechanical female voice.

"Now all you need to do is to leave it on. After one minute, it automatically goes to sleep mode. Don't worry; it can still record data from all the different Pokémon you've encountered. This is just so it can preserve battery life. You can start by recording your current Pokémon on to the Pokédex."

The three new trainers examine their Pokédex. Sure enough all three Pokémon were just recorded on to the device.

"Oh! And one more thing before you go," Professor Rowan dug into his pockets and produced three laminated cards. He passed one to each of the new trainers. "These are your trainer IDs, you are now officially trainers. There are slots that will fill in automatically each time you earn a badge. Also, the IDs have a barcode that sets off the alarms on a bus or train or any automobile. So that means you have to walk from now on. Don't worry, there's Pokémon Centers everywhere in Sinnoh. Just present your ID card to a Nurse Joy and you are granted a free room to stay for the night. You can get around towns and routes more easily once you've obtained a bicycle form Eterna City. But until then you'll have to get on your feet and walk most of the way."

"Gee, thanks professor," Klaus said scrutinizing his badge. They've apparently used his last school picture which includes a boy who forgot to smile leaving a huge frown on his face.

Professor Rowan handed each trainer their starter Pokémon's pokéball. Klaus clicked the round button on the center of the sphere and a red light absorbed Trident from his feet.

"Now, Jubilife City is your next destination, just head north on route 202 and you'll arrive in the City." Rowan said. "Go now, your adventure awaits!"

* * *

><p>Hello again! If you're reading this, you have probably finished the chapter. Or you just want to see me ramble on. The next chapter will probably be up in a few weeks. Besides, I've already started it. I will try to update as much as possible but school work and studying will get in the way. Remember I have a life too! Be sure to post a review!<p> 


	3. Chapter 3: Reflection

Dear Readers,

This chapter is considerably shorter than the last one (by about 1000 words shorter I think). What I hope to accomplish here is to explore more of the main protagonist's past and emotions. I don't want all my characters to be too robotic. As the story progresses, I'll add more interesting twists into the story. I have an interesting idea about the character Cyrus. Stay tone to find out.

But before you read, ask yourself this following question first: What is Sitrus Berry.

* * *

><p>POKÉMON PLATINUM FAN FICTION<p>

Chapter Three: Reflection

Klaus Chamber felt a renew air of brilliance once he got out of Professor Rowan's lab. Just receiving his first Pokémon is enough to wash all the worries and dread away. Excitement and hopefulness replaced all the bad feelings he had been caged in with for the past few days. It wasn't until he first saw Trident, the Piplup that had just became his very own starter Pokémon that he began to appreciate what a rare honor being a trainer is. Most people don't even get to step outside of town because their career had them suck behind a desk. Then again, he wouldn't really mind if that happens to him. But the sheer joy is just too complicated to describe.

The thirteen-year old boy let out a breath pleasure. The weather, the grass on his feet, and even the humming of machinery seems to just glow. Behind him, Barry Grant and Dawn Pearl stepped outside behind him. They were all officially this year's new trainers from Twinleaf Town and Sandgem Town. It's a weird feeling, joy; it gives your heart a warm sensation even though it's unlikely to last.

After the children went through a lecture about how to catch a Pokémon from their Pokédex they were ready to head out. At Professor Rowan's suggestion, Klaus and Barry went back to Twinleaf Town (this time free to use the route) to say goodbyes to their parents while Dawn went back to her house in Sandgem to pack something she had forgotten.

So there he was, standing in the front porch of his house. A thought suddenly crept into his mind that this would the last time he would call this "home" anymore. A trainer rarely comes back to his or her house anymore. The closest "home" Klaus would come close to calling would the free rooms in the Pokémon Center. The sudden burst of emotion he felt made him feel odd. Looking at the building again, Klaus feels like a stranger, unwelcome in his own home.

He took a deep breath but it didn't help. The only thing that that succeeded in doing was make him feel for a brief moment as he was drowning. Finally, he unfroze his legs and walked uncertainly into his front door. But just before he could knock, the front door opened.

"Klaus?" his mother asked. "What are you doing here? I wasn't really expecting you to come back so soon."

"Well, I…" Klaus begin but the lines he had been practicing in his mind on the way here was suddenly gone. For the first time in his life, the boy was lost for words.

"Oh, honey!" Beth said hugging his son. "You don't have to say anything. Have fun on your journey and don't worry about me, okay?"

"Okay mom but…I…I just wanted to say…" Klaus fumbled for words.

"Have I told you how much you reminded me of your father?" his mother asked.

"Only every second of every day," Klaus replied. He smiled; it's relieving to hear the good old line again. But then, it only reminded him of the mystery behind his father's past. Ever since he found the letters, he wished he could go back in time to stop himself from flickering on the lights in the basement. All of this would've happened if his curiosity didn't kill his future.

"Your father was never the fella that handles his emotions well," Beth continued. "I remember our first date. He almost crashed the car because his hands were shaking too much." She smiled at the memory. "I'm just sad that he wasn't around to see you grow up into a young man. And a replication of him too! But unfortunately he…"

She stopped there. Every time she comes close to mentioning her husband's death, Beth gets too depressed to talk about it any further. Klaus always dreaded these moments. He felt awkward, never being the shoulder to lean on for emotional support. But this could actually be it…

"He what, mom?" Klaus urged, feeling that this is the right time to solve the age old mystery. "What happened to him? Tell me."

"Oh, gosh," His mother said. "I'm so sorry for crying in front of you like that. But as for your question, I can't tell you, not yet anyways."

"Why not?" Klaus asked. A puzzled expression spread across his face.

"Because it's not in my place to tell you."

"What?"

"You have to find that out for yourself," Beth said standing up. "Go now, I don't want to keep you from your grand adventure any longer. Hopefully, you'll find some answers in your journey."

With that, Beth ran into the house to grab a Kleenex, leaving the stunned boy standing there. Klaus wanted to run after her, to find out what really happened to his father but his gut told him not to. _Hopefully, you'll find some answers in your journey. _The words rang in his head. The way that his mother said those words seem somewhat haunting. _How can I find answers if my head is swarming with so many questions_, he thought. There was something his mother wasn't telling him, something that had to do with his journey. _But what?_ _How did she know of my intentions?_ Turning away, Klaus locked the door with his keys.

Barry met up with Klaus once they were ready to head out of town again. Similar to last time the quirky boy had another thought in mind.

"Hey Klaus," He said. "Since we've got our first Pokémon already, do you want a quick battle here on the route? What is the use of having a Pokémon if you can't beat the other guy's crap out with it?"

"Alright," Klaus agreed. "I've been looking forward to a battle for a long time now. I didn't think that it'll start _this_ early in my career but there's no harm. Just try not to worn both of our Pokémon out too much, okay? Pokémon or not, it won't make much difference if they are both too tired to defend us against any wild Pokémon."

"Sounds like a yes," Barry said.

"Well, this will be interesting," a voice said, startling them both. Dawn popped up out of nowhere, making both boys jump. She looked between them in mild annoyance. "Why looked so surprised? I thought we're gonna travel together."

"Oh no," Klaus said. "It is more to the fact that you just came out of nowhere and nearly scared us dead."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Dawn said, rolling her eyes. "Come on, I know just the spot for battling. My mother takes me here a lot collect wild berries so I know this place from the inside-out."

She then turn on her heals and marched west, the opposite direction from Sandgem. She didn't look back as if expecting the boys to follow her without question, which they did. Soon, they arrived at a small opening looking out towards a vast body of water. All of them knew that the body of water is Lake Verity for it is home to one of Sinnoh's most prized legendary Pokémon. It was a very popular tourist attraction a few decades back, but since catching a glimpse of the legendary Pokémon – Mespirt – is improbable, eventually people stopped coming. Looking at the lake now, Klaus could see a small cave where the lake guardian was rumored to live.

"Come on guys!" Dawn urged. She pointed at a rather large tree standing alone in the middle of a small open field. "We're here! This is my mother's favorite berry tree. It grows Sitrus Berries that can restore twenty-five percent of a Pokémon's health."

Klaus raised an eyebrow. For some reason, the tree looked oddly familiar.

"Alright boys," Dawn continued in her haughty voice. "I'll be the referee. I've been waiting for quite a while to have a real Pokémon battle. But unfortunately, I've encounter a wild Bidoof on the way here so Inferno is a bit tired." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a pokéball. "But I did catch the Bidoof." She waited a little, as if she was expecting applause.

"Whatever," Barry said dismissively. "Let's get this battle started already!"

Dawn gave him a deadly look. _If only looks could kill,_ Klaus thought. Dawn stuck her nose in the air and walked into the middle of the plain.

"Alright," she sniffed. "Both of you must be about a 20 yards distance from each other. Alright, everyone take out your Pokéballs! Ready? Get set! Go!"

Klaus threw Trident's pokéball in the air. The lid cracked open and a blinding white light was shot out of the pokéball. Klaus covered his eyes at the sight of the light. He blinked. It took a few seconds for his eyes to register the Pokémon standing before him. Looking over, Klaus could see Barry recovering from pokéball blast too.

"Wow," Barry said, rubbing his eyes. "Wasn't expecting such a dramatic entrance."

"You'll probably get used to it," Klaus said. "Now, are we going to battle or what?"

"Alright," Barry said. "Branch use Leaf Storm!"

"Turtwig?" Branch asked, looking at his master.

"Barry," Dawn said. "You can't expect your Turtwig to learn such an advance move so fast. For now, it probably only knows tackle and a status move."

"Fine miss know-it-all," Barry snorted. Dawn scowled at the comment. "Branch, use tackle!"

The Turtwig nodded and charged at the defenseless Piplup.

"Trident, dodge!" Klaus commanded.

Unfortunately, Trident wasn't fast enough to dodge the attack. He tried stepping sideways a bit but he ended up sprawling on the grass a few feet away.

"Ouch," Klaus winced. "Oh well, grow and learn I guess. Come on Piplup don't give up so easily. Attack that Turtwig with a nice hard pound."

Trident gave him a look as if saying _you're not the one who has to get his hands dirty_! But he consented. Still a little wobbly from the damage, Piplup charged at his opponent with great speed. Klaus was somewhat surprised at the pace the small feet can gain. Then Trident gracefully knocked the unsuspecting Branch over. The turtle Pokémon was flipped upside-down, unable to move.

"Come on Branch," Barry said. "You can figure it out!"

But the Turtwig didn't move fast enough in time. When he finally found a way to roll over, it was too late – Piplup had already started charging for his second attack. This time the Pound didn't knock Branch over but it did manage to push him back a couple of feet. Branch stood up with his weak legs, tired after the attack.

"Never fear Branch," Barry said confidently. "We can still win this. Just go for another tackle."

"Dodge it Trident," Klaus commanded.

This time, Piplup did manage to doge the attack. He landed a few feet away and steadies himself for retaliation. But there is no need for that. Branch was running too fast to slow down in time and crashed into the berry tree and fainted. Two Sitrus Berries fell form the tree in consequence to the impact.

"Oh, no!" Barry cried rushing over to the unconscious Pokémon. "Are you okay there, buddy?"

"Don't worry," Dawn said in a kinder tone. She rushed over also. "Just retrieve him into your pokéball and bring it to the Pokémon Center. The Nurse Joy there will take care of him and restore his health."

"But what if she doesn't?" Barry said, holding the limped body up. For the first time, Klaus saw tears in the corner of the boy's eyes.

"Like I said before, there is no need for great concern," Dawn said soothingly. She bent down and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "He'll be alright."

"Really?" Barry said, a teardrop fell down his cheek.

"Really," Dawn confirmed. She then picked up one of the fallen Sitrus Berry. "Look, if you don't trust me you can give your Turtwig this. It'll help him regain consciousness."

Dawn placed the berry on top of the Pokémon. Suddenly a brilliant flash of gold erupted as Branch absorbed the fruit. Suddenly, he leaped from Barry's arm and started jumping around again, alive and restored.

"Thank you so much!" Barry exclaimed.

"Don't need to thank me," Dawn smiled embarrassingly. "Just remember – 'A Sitrus Berry a day keeps the pain at bay.'"

As the two of them stood up, Klaus had an uncanny feeling in his stomach. This scene right there – part when Dawn had given the berry to Barry – it felt as if it had happened before. He wasn't sure if it was some sort of stupid déjà vu or something but this _definitely _had happen before.

It was as if he was looking into a mirror but it wasn't Barry, Dawn, and Branch there anymore but a much more younger boy and a much more older man. The boy had dark hair and a skinny stature. The man was taller than the boy but other than that, they bear a striking resemblance. The tree also looked younger and healthier for some reason. The boy was crying and holding up an unconscious Starly. The man was padding the boy gently in the shoulder, trying to be helpful but it was just awkward. Abruptly, the man picked up a fallen Sitrus Berry and handed it to the boy. The little boy gave the fruit to the fallen Pokémon and the same thing happened – the Starly was revived again.

As they both stood up, Klaus could hear the man say to the boy: "Just remember son 'A Sitrus Berry a day keeps the pain at bay.'"

Trident, meanwhile, picked himself off the ground and jumped into Klaus's arms. The sudden pressure on his arms snapped the boy back to reality. The Piplup looked over at Dawn and Barry once and then gave Klaus a look as if saying. _I know, right? Weirdoes!_ It didn't really benefit Klaus's confusion.

"Come on," Dawn said, walking towards him with Barry. "We should head back to the Pokémon center, or else Barry will sob like a little girl again."

"Where did you hear that line from?" Klaus asked, still numb after the temporary flashback.

"What line?" Dawn asked.

"'A Sitrus Berry a day keeps the pain at bay,'" Klaus said.

"Oh that line!" Dawn exclaimed. "My mother use to say that to me every time we were picking the berries at that tree." She stopped when she saw the seriousness in his face. "Why did you ask? Is something wrong?"

_Yeah,_ Klaus thought. _There is something terribly wrong with my brain. _"Oh nothing," he lied. "It just seemed a little familiar, that's all."

"Why? Did you pick berries here with your mother too?" Dawn asked.

"Oh, no," Klaus responded. "We never do anything together. But I seem to recall this scene with my father…"

"Hey," Barry interrupted. "I don't mean to break your tête-à-tête here but we should really get going. My Branch needs some extremely important medical treatment fast!"

Dawn rolled her eyes but still went back to pack her things. Klaus, feeling uneasy about all this, didn't want to discuss further about the vison so he also complied. Before any of them could leave however, they were interrupted by a haunting voice.

"...The flowing time... The expanding space... I will make it all mine one day... Cyrus is my name. Remember it... Until then, sleep while you can, legendary Pokémon of the lake bed..."

All three of them turned around to find a man standing in the other side of the lake. In the distance, he looked hazy and small but one characteristic that Klaus immediately noticed about him was his eccentric blue hair that sticks out of his head like pineapple spikes. The man stopped and glanced around. When his gaze fell upon them, Klaus could feel a chill running down his back. They locked eyes for just a second, and then the man turned around and walked back to wherever he came from.

Out in the blue of the lake, Klaus saw a flash of pink near the cave. That was it. It was just a quick flash but Klaus was sure that he saw it. The boy shook his head. _What the hell is wrong with me today – First the flashback and now this?_ But he didn't want to dismiss the image too soon. Maybe it's just a phantasmagorical mirage his eyes fabricated, maybe it's not. But how can he tell…

"Well, that was weird," Dawn said, looking at Barry. "Who is he?"

"How should I know?" Barry exclaimed. "He's probably just some loser fruitlessly trying to call on the lake guardian."

"Well he sure succeeded," Klaus murmured under his breath.

"What did you say?" Barry asked.

"Oh…Um…nothing," Klaus said. Barry's extraordinary hearing continue to catch him off guard.

"Are you okay?" Dawn frowned. "You were acting strange the entire day."

"How do you know that he is acting strange?" Barry said. "You just met him. As far as I know, he had been zoning out ever since I met him _yesterday_."

"Yeah, you're right," Dawn nodded. She gave him weird look and began walking back, followed by Barry.

A fleeting thought cross Klaus's mind that his new friends both thought of him as the crazy one. He never considered himself socially awkward before. He had always been able to communicate easily with his friends at school. _Never mind that_. He thought. The boy gave one last look at the cave and shrugged. For some reason, he felt as if he was meant to see that. As far as he knew, no one else did. But before he could run after his traveling partners, he bent down on the smooth green grass and picked up the second Sitrus Barry. Making sure that no one saw him, he stuffed the berry into his pocket.

* * *

><p>I want to end the story here because I don't want to take up your time with anything else. I updated this pretty fast because I've been working on it when I published chapter one. Next time, don't expect another chapter so soon.<p>

Before you proceed ask yourself this: Is history destined to repeat itself?


End file.
